KOCHI: Sagar Kavach, the three-day joint coastal security exercise, would be held at southern coast of India covering Kerala, Karnataka and Lakshadweep from December 15. Unlike previous coast security exercise ‘Theera Vetta’ in Kerala, Sagar Kavach will include enforcement agencies from Karnataka this time.
A top official of the Fisheries Department said the joint exercise would see the participation of Indian Navy, Coast Guard, Kerala Police, Karnataka Police, Mahe Police, Lakshwadeep Police, coastal police of Kerala, Karnataka and the Fire and Rescue Service Department of these states, Marine Enforcement Wing under Fisheries Department, intelligence agencies, including Special Branch of Kerala Police, Intelligence Bureau and Customs Department. Apart from security agencies, fishermen communities also may participate in the exercise. The Control Unit of the operations in Kerala would be based in Kochi.
“Preparatory works for the joint exercise is getting completed and a meeting with representatives of agencies taking part in the exercise was also held. Unlike in the previous year when Theera Vetta concentrated on security of Kerala and Lakshwadeep, Sagar Kavach will focus on the entire coastal sector in southern part of the India,” he said.
Coastal Police officials said since fishermen communities were important in information gathering as part of coastal security, they would play a vital role in the joint exercise. They said flaws in the security system could be identified through such exercises.
During the exercise, the officials will be divided into two groups. One group will intrude through coastal areas to vital security establishments. Last year, a dummy bomb was placed at a railway station in Ernakulam which was successfully detected by the agencies. Intruders taking part in the exercise had once infiltrated into Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram evading the security agencies.